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<title>Keep It Together by frasierverse (orphan_account)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24370519">Keep It Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/frasierverse'>frasierverse (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Short One Shot, already contradicted by canon but who cares, shippers do not interact</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:20:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24370519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/frasierverse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The night after their first run-in with Marcus Moncrief at Galaxy Con, Raph can't stop worrying about his youngest brother.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leonardo &amp; Raphael (TMNT), Michelangelo &amp; Raphael (TMNT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Keep It Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i wrote this before "sidekick ahoy" came out (like, the day before) don't hurt me</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The main menu jingle from the <em>Bedtime for Bozos</em> DVD looped softly in the background, accompanied only by the small hum of the worn-out projector. The lair had been dark for hours, but Raph could still see the rise and fall of Mikey’s chest in the flickering glow from the projector and the string lights encircling the TV room. Mikey’s face was smooth and untroubled. No furrowed brow or wrinkled nose or creases around his eyes from shutting them too tight. He just slept silently, as though it were any other night. As if today had been any other day.</p><p>Raph gingerly rested his hand on Mikey’s curled wrist, slowly running his thumb over Mikey’s hand. Raph sighed and hugged his knees even tighter to his chest. He tried his best to stifle a gasping sob as it escaped his throat. Thankfully, the noise didn’t wake Mikey.</p><p>“Huh?… How long was I asleep?” muttered a voice behind Raph. “Aw, man, did I miss <em>Bozos</em>?!” Leo slouched back into the bean bag chair and smacked his lips.</p><p>Raph gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t stop tears from gathering in the corners of his eyes. He preemptively wiped his cheek, his other hand still gingerly holding Mikey’s.</p><p>Leo shifted in his seat. “Yo! Raph?”</p><p>Leo was acting nonchalant, but Raph could swear he recognized the subtle twinge of pain in the way Leo called his name. It was the same pain coiling itself around Raph’s lungs, choking him from the inside.</p><p>“I can’t believe I let him trick us like that,” said Raph.</p><p>“Who?” said Leo. “Moncrief? It’s not your fault. The guy is slick.”</p><p>Raph took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “Yeah…” he sighed. “I just wish I could protect Mikey from folks like him.” He closed his other hand around Mikey’s. “He’s just a kid.”</p><p>“Raph,” said Leo. “<em>You’re</em> a kid.”</p><p>Raph finally turned to face him, tears in his eyes. “I know."</p>
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